The Best Supermarket Eggnogs In Canada

A few years ago, frequent contributor and eggnog expert Isabel Slone tasted her way through seven grocery store eggnogs on a quest for the best. “Every December, I enter a fugue state in which I quaff ungodly amounts of the ovum-flavoured nectar by the carton, starting each day by pouring an enthusiastic glug into my coffee, and proceeding from there,” she wrote, which is about as enthusiastic as a recommendation as you can get for an otherwise highly divisive beverage.

To follow up on Slone’s work, the Chatelaine team decided to test as many different grocery store eggnogs as we could get our hands on in Toronto. Here’s what we thought, with one caveat: at the time of this testing, we did not try Circle K eggnog. (Yes, that’s right, the convenience store has its own house brand of ’nog.) It’s since become our editor-in-chief’s favourite, a Platonic ideal eggnog that’s also highly affordable. We strongly recommend you give it a try, too.

The Supermarket Mainstays

President's Choice The World’s Best Egg Nog

Of all the eggnogs we tried, PC’s black-box version was the only one flavoured with a splash of rum. Not enough to qualify it as a boozy drink, but enough that you could taste it—although most of our editors didn’t love the flavour. Score: 6/10

Irresistibles Classic Egg Nog

Everyone agreed with this one: nicely spiced, but too sweet. Score: 6.5/10

Neilson Eggnog

“Decent for a house brand,” one tester wrote. We liked the thick consistency but noticed a slightly plastic aftertaste. Score: 7/10

 President’s Choice Rich & Creamy Eggnog
 

More delicately flavoured than the premium version, PC’s original-recipe ’nog fared better among the team, with tasters noting it was creamy and not overly sweet. Score: 7.5/10

Sealtest Eggnog

Two testers found Neilson’s festively retro-packaged ’nog to be similar in flavour to Compliments, but a little too thin. Score: 7/10

Compliments Egg Nog

Of the big-brand offerings, Compliments’ version of the holiday drink got the most, well, compliments. “Surprisingly delicious,” wrote one tester. While slightly thinner than its more-bougie counterparts, it offered the best balance of sweetness and spice, and boasted a true dairy flavour with no aftertaste. It’s great for drinking spiked or on its own, but at $3 a carton it’s also a perfect pick for using as a baking ingredient or in French toast. Score: 9/10

The Plant-Based Options

Three Chatelaine editors who don’t do dairy went all-in on the plant-based options, along with a few dedicated testers who tried all 15 (!) ’nogs. Please believe that we’re not on some pro-lactose agenda when we say this: we couldn't find a plant-based eggnog we loved. We suggest instead that you start with a really great homemade plant-based milk recipe and make your own—or take a Lactaid.

The Splurges

Farm Boy Organic Eggnog

The glass bottle? Beautiful! The eggy yellow hue? Enticing! But organic or not, tasters did not love this ’nog. “Plasticky” and “slightly artificial flavour” were among the tasting notes. Score: 4/10

Sheldon Creek Dairy Eggnog

We liked the sweetness of this specialty ’nog and its slightly thinner consistency mixed into coffee really well, but a few editors noticed a floral aftertaste. Score: 7/10

Kawartha Dairy Egg Nog

Kawartha’s festive holiday offering features rich, quality dairy, a very nutmeg-forward flavour, and the texture of melted ice cream. Most tasters either really liked those last two features—or didn’t. Score: 6.5/10

Harmony Organic Eggnog

We may have thrown the entire judging process by putting this carton at the beginning of the tasting line. From the get-go, the Listowel, Ont. creamery’s holiday offering was the clear winner for every single taster who tried the dairy-based nogs. “Smooth, creamy, and a custard-like taste,” wrote one taster. Sweet but not cloying; generously seasoned without tasting chemical or floral. At about $9.50 per 1L bottle at most retailers who carry it, it’s also the most expensive of the bunch, but we’d argue it’s well worth it. It’s rich enough that a small glass goes a long way, and you’ll want to save it just for sipping. Score: 10/10s across the board, plus one very enthusiastic 15/10.

This article was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2024.